FCE Preparation Course Programme

THIS GUIDE IS AVAILABLE IN SPANISH (Check the Centro Superior de Idiomas website or your MiAulario
Resources)

1. Introduction
This is a B2 level course orientated towards passing the Cambridge First Certificate exam. There are 120
hours of classes beginning on September 10 and finishing on June 7. There will be 2 classes of 120 minutes
a week and students are also expected to do individual study tasks as homework.
UPNA students who pass the course successfully will get 3 ECTS credits.

2. Requirements
This course is directed to people who need an international qualification to certify their level. They must have
accomplished a B2 level before taking this course.

3. Objectives and competences

The course aims to provide students with a B2 level with the specific skills and strategies to pass the
Cambridge First Certificate exam. Those strategies are aimed at enabling students to make the best of their
deduction, language use and expression abilities.
Assessment [1] abbreviated
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment,
as CEFR Outlines the levels a B2 speaker must have as the following:

 Reading:
Reading Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including
technical discussions in his/her field of specialization.
 Speaking:
Speaking Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native
speakers quite possible, and can take an active part in discussion in familiar contexts, accounting for and
sustaining their views.
 Listening: can understand extended speech, follow even complex lines of argument, understand most TV
news and follow the majority of films in standard dialect.
 Writing:
Writing Can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical
issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options. [1]

4. Methodology

• Classroom work:
work At the start of the course, after a short introductory session on all papers, the
students take a diagnostic test in order for them and the teacher to know and analyse their strong and
weak points. During the classes, special emphasis will be put on specific problem areas for the class.
Through specifically designed exercises students are encouraged to think about their exam
preparation and find new ways of practising their language skills. These training sessions are
designed to help them become more independent learners. There will also be additional resources on
 Mi Aulario. Students will use a wide range of internet resources which will be integrated into the
course and indicated on Mi Aulario. Students will have access to magazines and books and they can
also borrow films and series from the Centre’s library

• Autonomous work:
work It is essential for students to work on their own to improve the weakest aspects of
their knowledge/skills. They are required to work regularly on the contents presented in class and to
do regular “exam practice”.

5. Contents

Vocabulary topics:

Compound adjectives, Modifiers. Illnesses and treatment. Clothes and fashion. Air travel. Adverbs and
adverbial phrases. Crime and punishment. The environment. The weather. Expressions with take.
Feelings. Verbs often confused. The body. Music. Sleep. The media. Collocation: word pairs.
Science, -ed/-ing adjectives and related verbs. Expressions with go. Business and advertising. Word
building: prefixes and suffixes.

Grammar topics:

Question formation. Auxiliary verbs.The…the..+comparatives. Present perfect (simple and continuous)

Using adjectives as nouns, adjective order. Narrative tenses, past perfect continuous. So and
such…that. Adverbs and adverbial phrases. Future perfect and future continous. Conditionals and
future time clauses. Unreal conditionals. Structures after wish. Gerunds and infinitives. Used to , be
used to , get used to. Past modals. “would rather, had better”. Verbs of the senses. Passive (all forms),
it is said that….he is thought to…etc. . Reporting verbs. Clauses of contrast and purpose. Uncountable
and plural nouns. Quantifiers: all/every, etc..

Reading :

• Articles about current affairs.

• Opinion articles.
• Extracts from easy no-adapted novels

Listening:

• Extracts from radio programmes in standard English.

• Selected clips from TV series and films.
• Lectures and talks about general topics
• Unscripted authentic speech when speakers are interviewed in a studio and in the street.

Writing:

• emails
• Essay
• Article
• Review
• A report

6. Evaluation

In order to successfully pass the course, students must demonstrate that they have reached the required
level of competence.
 The pass mark for the course is 6.

The final mark will be calculated as follows:

A. Final examination: 50% of the total mark.

All students will have to sit a final examination with the following parts:

Use of English (Grammar and Vocabulary) 20%

Listening 20%
Reading 20%
Writing 20%
Speaking 20%

B. Continuous assessment: 50% of the total mark.

Students will be required to do the following tasks:

• 2 Progress Tests 30%

• 7 Writing Tasks 30%

(emails, essay, article, review, report)

• Monthly tasks 20%

(These will include reading, listening and short writing tasks and should be handed in
before the last day of the month.)

• 2 Oral production Tasks 20%

Bibliography

Course Book: Compact First Student's Book without Answers with CD-ROM Second Edition
ISBN-13: 978-1107428423

Complementary Bibliography
Apart from the resources available on Miaulario:

- Vince, Michael. First Certificate Language Practice. English Grammar and Vocabulary. McMillan.
- Mann, Malcolm - Taylore-Knowles, Steve. Destination B2. Grammar and Vocabulary.. McMillan.
- Prodromou, Luke. Grammar and Vocabulary for First Certificate. Longman
- Murphy, Raymond. English Grammar in Use. A self-study reference and practice book for intermediate
students of English. Cambridge.
- Shovel, Martin. Making sense of Phrasal verbs.
- Really learn 100 Phrasal Verbs. OUP.
- Thomas, Barbara and Matthews, Laura. Vocabulary for FCE. CUP
- Evans, Virginia Successful Writing Upper-Intermediate. Express Publishing
- First Certificate in English for updated exams 1/2/3. Cambridge books for Cambridge exams.
Cambridge
- Wrangham-Briggs, Catherine. How to Pass FCE . Listening and Speaking/ Reading/ Use of English/
Listening. ( not updated!)
-
Magazines (available in the centre)
- Hot English
- Speak up
Readers (available in the centre)
- FCE simplified Readers

Interesting Websites:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/
http:// www.elllo.org
http://www.flo-joe.co.uk/
http://www.cambridge.org

Relevant information in relation to your professional life

Students who successfully complete the course will receive 3 ECTS credits, and be given the opportunity to sit
the UPNA (B1 / B2) level exams, as well as the EOIDNA examinations in collaboration with the UPNA for B2
and C1.

Upon completion of the course, students may solicit a document that states their language level, which is
recognized by the UPNA for admission into degrees and Master degrees organized through the University-
Society Foundation.

The CSI level certificates are beneficial to student who are entering the labor market and wish to apply to
companies which collaborate with the University-Society Foundation through the Tripartita Foundation.

1. Council of Europe (2011). Common European Framework of Reference for : Learning, Teaching, Assessment.
Council of Europe.

B1 Level Accreditation

According to article 3 g of the regulations for B1 level competence accreditation for degree studies, the Centro Superior
de Idiomas, is entitled to give approval in the following cases:

A) Students who have already completed the B2 course:

 • Have successfully completed the B2 course with a pass mark.
• Those who have not obtained a pass mark must comply with the following requirements:
o Have completed either the annual course or the autumm or spring semester and have
attended 50% of the classes.
o Have sat the final exam or handed in successfully between a 30% and a 50% of the
continuous assessment tasks as stated in the course programme.

B) Students who are in the process of completing the B2 course:

• Have already complied with the following requirements upon application for accreditation:

• Have successfully completed 50% of the continuous assessment tasks as stated in

the course programme.
• Have attended 60% of the classes during the teaching period considered (annual
or semestral)

In case A, accreditation will be issued upon application.

In case B, students can apply for it from the 1st of April onward in order to facilitate the registration for the accreditation
exam, if necessary.